A Total Eclipse of the Heart
by Shallow15
Summary: When Carmen suddenly disbands VILE and disappears, Zack and Ivy are asked to find her and find out what's going on. But the answer may be one that no one wants to hear...


A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART   
by Erin Mills   
  
  
based on characters owned by Broderbund Software   
and DIC Productions   
  
"Once upon a time, I was falling in love   
Now I'm only falling apart.   
Nothing I can do   
A total eclipse of the Heart..."   
  
---Bonnie Tyler, "Total Eclipse of the Heart"   
  
  
NOVEMBER 16, 1986   
  
They met behind the Falls. The same falls where, nearly a century   
earlier, the world's greatest detective and the world's most brilliant   
criminal matermind had resolved their final problem.   
  
They met and stood for a moment. Each taking in the other's   
appearance.   
  
He took in her waist length curly sable hair, her single crystal blue eye   
visible from under the brim of her outlandish red hat. A matching   
trenchcoat completed the ensemble, and a look of supreme confidence   
radiated from her face.   
  
She took in his trim build, the unruly mop of light brown hair that refused   
to stay combed, the everpresent denim jacket, and the look of stern   
disapproval that had replaced the light hearted openness of two years   
previous.   
  
Two opponents, both matched in cunning and intelligence, both skilled   
in multiple forms of hand to hand combat, both the undisputed masters of   
their professions.   
  
Two enemies, linked by a betrayal deeper than the Marianas Trench.   
Two lovers, caught in a war of which there would only be one   
survivor...   
  
  
NOVEMBER 16, 1998   
  
The alarm went off with a resounding blare. A practically manicured   
feminine hand switched off the clock. The occupant of the bed sat up   
stretched and got out of the bed. She put on a robe and looked out the   
French doors to her balcony, where the sun was just beginning to rise   
over the Pacific Ocean.   
  
It was time. The plans had been set in motion. By sundown it would all   
be in place. She felt a great feeling of peace and serenity flood over her.   
Relief spread to every pore in her body.   
  
Carmen Sandiego sighed at what she knew would be the last sunrise   
she would ever see.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
CHAPTER I: PREPARATIONS   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
  
Ivy first began to suspect that the day would be out of the ordinary   
when her shoulder began acting up. The pain stemmed from a gunshot   
would inflicted on her about a year previous. Ivy had become mildly   
superstitious about the wound. It always seemed to act up whenever   
something dreadful was on the horizon.   
  
Her brother Zack scoffed at the idea that a mass of scar tissue could   
warn of impending doom. This from the kid who had spent an entire case   
worrying about not having his lucky rabbit's foot.   
  
Still, Ivy was sure something was about to happen. It wasn't just the   
wound, there seemed to be something in the air that gave off the   
impression that something earth-shattering was about to happen.   
  
She found out what it was after she came downstairs for breakfast.   
  
Zack was already down there, finishing off his traditional five bowls   
of sugar-coated cereal. He was watching the morning news on the small   
portable television that was on top of the refirgerator.   
  
Or, to be more accurate, Zack was staring in disbelief at the television,   
a spoonful of Cap'n Sucrose's Creamy Chunk N' Cheese Lumps O' Fruit   
half way between the bowl and his mouth. Ivy looked first at her brother,   
then at the screen. She soon assumed an expression similar to her   
brother's.   
  
"...In what some consider one of the most bizarre circumstances in the   
history of criminology, notorious international theif Carmen Sandiego has   
returned all the international landmarks and treasures she has stolen over   
the past twelve years of her career. The United Nations are stunned at   
this turn of events, as are the executives of the Acme Detective Agency,   
for she has returned things that no one even knew that she had stolen,   
as well as items long thought unretrievable. No one knows why she has   
done it, or where she is currently. So now the question on the world's   
lips is not 'Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego,' but rather "WHY in   
the world, Carmen Sandiego?'"   
  
The two Acme siblings looked at each other in confusion.   
  
A half a world away, similar confusion was brewing at V.I.L.E.'s   
headquarters in Berlin. Every V.I.L.E. agent and henchman had been   
called on short notice to attend a meeting. All personnel, all branches, no   
excuses.   
  
The headquarters auditorium was packed, every member of the   
organization wondering what Carmen had in mind. She rarely held   
meetings of this magnitude. It was too easy for the cops to get them all   
when they were all in one place.   
  
After ten minutes of fretful waiting, a large screen lowered from a   
hidden recess in the ceiling. As one, the lights in the auditorium went out   
and the screen illuminated with Carmen's image.   
  
"Good afternoon," Carmen said. "I'm glad you could all make it on such   
short notice. The purpose of this meeting is to inform you that, effective   
immediately, the Villains International League of Evil is disbanded."   
  
A roar of consternation ran through the auditorium as the shock of this   
message seeped into the collective consciousness. There were outraged   
protests at this sudden decision by their leader.   
  
Carmen called for silence. "I am aware that this announcement comes   
as a shock, but rest assured I have taken care of the problem. Each of   
you, as payment for servces rendered and, I might add, an excellent job   
well done, will recieve 10,000 dollars plus an additional 5,000 in blue chip   
stocks. You are free to keep any and all equipment you have been issued   
over the course of your employment. Additionally, the various V.I.L.E   
Headquarters around the world will be auctioned off to the highest   
bidder. The main headquarters, in the Cayman Islands, will NOT be for   
sale however.   
  
"Many of you may be wondering why I have chosen to do this. The   
answer is one that is very personal to me and that I do not wish to   
disclose. I thank you all for twelve years of service unparalleled by any   
criminal organization in the world. Goodbye, and good luck."   
  
Her image faded from the screen.   
  
The next bit of confusion and strangeness occurred in San Francisco   
just as Zack and Ivy reported to Acme HQ. As they entered the main   
office, they were shocked to see Lee Galese sitting in one of the chairs   
by the computer terminals.   
  
"Activate security lockdown! Level 3!" Zack yelped. Instantly,   
sirens went off an large steel plates slammed down over all the available   
exits of the room. Galese looked over the precautions with a look of   
intense disinterest.   
  
"I assure you that the security precautions are not necessary." he   
said, standing up. "I am merely a legal representative of Dr. Carmen   
Sandiego performing a necessary legal function."   
  
"Yeah, right." Ivy said. Galese smiled disarmingly.   
  
"If you would care to scour your records, you will see that, aside from   
having an unpaid parking ticket, I have no criminal record, nor any   
outstanding warrants for my arrest. I am the attorney for an individual   
citizen, and association is not a crime."   
  
"I'm afraid he's right, guys." said the disembodied head of the Chief as   
he appeared on the oversized monitor above them. "I just checked the   
files, and he's right. We can't arrest him, he hasn't done anything illegal.   
Cancelling security lockdown."   
  
The sirens cut out and the steel plates retracted into their housings.  
  
"Then what are you here for, Galese?" Ivy demanded. Galese reached   
into his briefcase and pulled out a thick sheaf of papers.   
  
"Standard release forms from all promises as declared under the   
Criminal Succession Act of Carmen Sandiego's will..." Galese   
proceeded to descend into enough legal jargon to sink a battleship   
finishing a full seven minute laters with   
"...andthusallformerobligationsasDr.Sandiego'ssuccessorsareherebyre-   
voked."   
  
"What was that?" Zack said, shaking his head.   
  
"We're no longer Carmen's successors?" Ivy asked. Galese nodded.   
  
"As the Villains International League of Evil was disbanded   
approximately one hour ago, the clause in Dr. Sandiego's will stating you   
two as her legal heirs to her criminal empire is now null and void. Sign   
here please." The lawyer thrust the sheaf of papers towards them and a   
couple of pens. "Signing will indicate that you understand that you are   
now under no legal obligations to carry on Dr. Sandiego's work upon her   
untimely demise or disappearance."   
  
Dumbfounded, Zack and Ivy signed where Galese indicated.   
  
"Thank you so much. That is all I needed from you." he began exiting the   
room, the automatic doors opening for him. "Have a nice day. If not,   
consider suing."   
  
The doors slammed shut.   
  
"It's done, Carmen." Galese said over the videolink. Carmen nodded.   
  
"Thank you, Lee. You'll find a check waiting for you at your office."   
  
"Do you still intend to go through with this? It's been over a decade   
Carmen."   
  
"I hired you to be my attorney, not my therapist." Carmen snapped.   
  
"Carmen, as your attorney and your friend, I'm begging you to   
reconsider. There are better ways than this."   
  
"That's what May said." Carmen answered. "But none of them worked.   
Thank you for your time and efforts, Lee. Your services will no longer be   
required."   
  
Carmen deactivated the videolink. She thought for a moment about the   
lawyer's plea. It matched a voice in the back of her mind that begged her   
not to go through with the plan, that it wasn't too late to turn back.  
  
But it is. another voice said solemnly. One that brought a sharp pain   
to her soul.   
  
In the darkness of the room, the master theif began to cry.   
  
****  
  
Carmen checked her watch. 2:47PM. Not yet. It hadn't happened until  
seven thirty-three, Swiss time. She had less than five hours to wait.  
  
Why are you doing this? came a voice.  
  
Because it's right. Because it's what I have to do. she answered.  
  
Is it? Are you doing this for his sake...or yours?  
  
For both of us. At least then we'll be together.  
  
Together? Ah, so this is what it's about. The great Carmen Sandiego is  
lonely, and so she decides to take care of it in the only way she can think  
of.  
  
  
Be quiet, Carmen ordered.  
She's so afraid to be alone, but her ego refuses to let her confide in  
anyone...  
  
I said be quiet.  
  
...even her own staff psychiatrist couldn't help her. Nor could anyone  
in her employ. Hell, she can't even turn to her only real friends, who also  
happen to be her worst enemies...  
  
SHUT UP!  
  
The voice was silenced. Carmen found she was breathing rapidly. She  
fought to calm herself.  
  
It's the only way. she told herself. The only way...  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
CHAPTER II: REVELATION  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Lee Galese stared at his phone. The hunk of plastic had occupied his  
attention for over an hour. It seemed to be toying with him, mocking him,  
daring him to pick up the reciever and dial.  
  
"Go ahead." it seemed to be silently challenging. "Go ahead and call  
the detectives. Betray the trust Carmen placed in you. She made you  
what you are today. Without her, you'd be back working as a file clerk for  
the D.A.'s office before you knew it. She'd never forgive you. She  
doesn't look too kindly on betrayal. Look at how long it took Sarah to get  
back into her good graces. And that was only because she was nuts.  
You, my friend, are completely sane. Do you honestly think that she will  
forgive you? So go ahead, pick up the phone. If you've got the guts."  
  
Galese frowned in thought. Moral obligation fighting with employee  
loyalty. After about a minute he came to a decision.  
  
  
"All right, Galese," Ivy said. "What's so important that you couldn't   
talkabout it over the phone?" She and Zack had met Galese in an out of the  
way coffee shop near Fisherman's Wharf. The call had surprised the two  
detectives, as Galese had told them that he had information regarding  
Carmen's motives of late. They had C-5ed there immediately.  
  
Galese frowned. "First of all, I want to know how much you truly care  
about Carmen's well-being."  
  
Zack and Ivy looked at each other. "Huh?" Zack asked. Galese sighed.  
  
"I mean, if you knew she was in serious danger would you help her?"  
  
"Of course we would," Zack said. "We helped her on the Enge case  
didn't we? And that whole business with Avalon and Lee Jordan-"  
  
"Fine. But what I'm about to tell you concerns Carmen's battle with an  
enemy far worse than Enge or Maelstrom, or Jordan."  
  
"Who is it then?" Ivy asked. Galese narrowed his gaze.  
  
"Herself."   
  
  
Galese proceeded to tell the detectives of several changes in Carmen's  
character that had happened in recent months. She had started having  
mood swings of a very violent nature. One minute she was plotting a  
major heist and making plans for the V.I.L.E. Company Picnic, the next she  
was snapping at her underlings for the tiniest mistake.   
  
"She always apologized after these outbursts, but it was still  
unnerving to see her that angry." Galese explained. "Also she would  
occasionally lock herself in her bedroom and refuse to come out for  
hours. The staff at her primary residence reports evenings where they  
swear they heard her crying in the middle of the night."  
  
"That doesn't sound like Carmen." Ivy said.  
  
"No." Galese agreed. "However, I did some checking and discovered  
that these outbursts had started occuring two months after the Avalon  
incident. I made the suggestion that she see V.I.L.E's staff psychiatrist."  
  
"V.I.L.E. has it's own psychiatrist?" Zack asked incredulously.   
  
Galese nodded and passed over a card. "Her name is Dr. May Dessin.  
Carmen went to her for a while, and it seemed to help. But three weeks  
after she began to see Dr. Dessin, the mood swings became more  
pronounced and frequent. She fired Dr. Dessin during one of these  
outbursts. Dr. Dessin left quietly, but I, concerned with Carmen's health  
asked her to keep in touch with me, so I could appraise her of any  
changes in Carmen's condition."  
  
"So, what's wrong with Carmen that she has to see a shrink?" Ivy  
asked. "She's seemed fairly well balanced to me."  
  
"During the time when she is in the middle of a caper, yes, she was  
fine. But she is, after all, only human." Galese answered. "Even she  
needed to sleep and relax. It was in those times that she became, as the  
Bard has it, a shrew."  
  
"So what do you want us to do?" Zack asked. "You said Carmen was  
in danger from herself. What's happening? Is she going to commit suicide  
or something?"  
  
Galese fixed Zack with a cold stare. "That, young man, is exactly what  
she is in danger of doing."  
  
  
Zack and Ivy stared at the lawyer in shock. Carmen suicidal? The idea  
was too big to comprehend.  
  
"Unfortunately," Galese continued. "I have no idea why she is choosing  
this plan of action, or why today to act on her plan."  
  
"TODAY?!" Zack and Ivy shrieked. "You mean she's planning on killing  
herself today?" Ivy gasped. Galese nodded again.  
  
"Which brings me to why I've come to you. I've talked with Dr. Dessin  
and she has confirmed our hypothesis that the two of you might be able  
to talk her out of it. The problem is that I know next to nothing of Carmen's  
state of mind, and Dr. Dessin feels that she only has part of the story. Put  
simply, we want to hire you to find out what has caused Carmen to  
become suicidal, find her and pull her back from the brink. Will you take  
the case?"  
  
Zack and Ivy looked at each other, an unspoken decision passed  
between them. They looked at the lawyer.  
  
"We'll take the case." Ivy said. "Player, C-5 us to the office of Dr. May  
Dessin."  
  
The C-5 came to life and the two detectives vanished.   
  
"Good luck." Galese said.  
  
  
"Normally, I wouldn't be talking to you." Dr. May Dessin said, taking a   
file from her cabinet and returning to her desk. "In fact, I am breaking  
doctor-paitent privilege. But, I am concerned for her well being, so I'll   
tell you what I know."  
  
Ivy eyed the psychiatrist. She was a fairly serious looking woman in  
her mid-50's with a head of steel gray hair and matching eyes. She was  
dressed in a fashionable ladies buisness suit.  
  
"Why did Carmen come to you, Dr. Dessin?" she asked.  
  
"It happened just after that whole encounter with Mr. Avalon." May  
replied. "The shock of the possibility of finding her father, his rejection   
of her and his subsequent amnesia had affected her greatly. She had  
become depressed and came to me."  
  
"Did the treatment work?" Zack asked.  
  
"Yes, it did, for a while. Carmen told me about why Avalon's rejection  
had hurt her as well as her feelings towards the two of you. She seemed  
to be quite well, although I had confirmed what I had thought when she  
first came to see me."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Carmen Sandiego suffers from clinical depression." May replied. "As  
far as I can tell, she's suffered from it even before she left Acme."  
  
"Wait a sec," Zack said. "Carmen's never struck me as the kind of  
person who'd suffer from depression. She sure as shootin' doesn't seem  
that way whenever we encounter her."  
  
"Depression doesn't work quite that way. Many people who have  
depression can seem quite happy and successful. Rodney Dangerfield,  
for example. Carmen's depression has always manifested itself in her  
insatiable need for fresh challenges. Just as artists find their solace in  
their paintings or sculpture, Carmen finds hers in her 'profession."'  
  
"Is she on any anti-depressants?" Ivy asked.  
  
"I prescribed Paxil. It's a mild anti-depressant with fewer side effects  
than Prozac. And for a while, it worked." May said. "The trouble came  
later."  
  
"What happened?" Ivy asked.  
  
"Carmen had begun sliding back into her depression," the doctor  
explained. "Only this time, the triggering effect wasn't the confrontation  
with the man who might have been her father. Rather it involved a young  
man whom she referred to as Matt. I tried to get her to open up about him,  
but before we could make any real progress, she lost her temper and  
fired me. I left. Mr. Galese, her attorney, has kept me up to date on her  
condition. With her current actions, I fear that Carmen may have become  
dangerously suicidal."  
  
"Why do you say that?"   
  
"Because she has given away nearly everything of value to her. Her  
organization, her trophies, even you two as her successors. This giving  
away of personal items is one of the classic signs of a person  
contemplating suicide. As to why she has decided to do so, I believe it  
has something to do with this Matt person."  
  
Matt, Ivy thought. A memory struck her. "Did Carmen ever say who  
this Matt was?"   
  
"No," May answered. " As I said, we never got that far. But from what I  
gathered, I believe he was employed at Acme at the same time Carmen  
was."  
  
"Thank you for your time, Doctor." Ivy said, getting up from her seat.  
"You've been very helpful." She began bundling Zack out the door of the  
office.  
  
"Ivy," May called. Ivy looked back at the doctor.  
  
"Please find her. She's in a dangerous emotional state right now. She  
needs a friend to confide in. Help her."  
  
Ivy nodded and exited the office.  
  
  
Half a world away, Carmen Sandiego was buying a bus ticket.  
  
The clerk looked at her simple sweater pants and tan overcoat.  
  
"Where to?"  
  
Carmen looked at him with sad eyes.  
  
"One ticket to Reichenbach, please."  
  
The clock behind the clerk read 4:18.  
  
****  
  
Carmen stared out the window of the bus, watching the rolling hills of  
Switzerland pass by. She sighed. It was almost over. All of it.   
  
It isn't too late to turn back. came the voice that had been annoying  
her ever since she started down this road. He'll forgive you if you don't  
do it. There's the cord, up there. Just pull it and you can go home. You  
don't want it to end like this.  
  
"Yes, I do." Carmen whispered. "I owe him that much. I owe him  
_everything_."  
  
Including the pain that you're subjecting yourself to? the voice asked.  
I give up. So long, Sandiego.   
  
She was, once again, alone...  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
CHAPTER III: CATHARSIS  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Ivy," Zack protested. "What are you doing? She could have given us  
more information about where Carmen might have gone!"  
  
"No, she couldn't, Zack." Ivy said, halting and turning to face him.  
"This whole thing has to do with this 'Matt' guy. Remeber the Enge case?"  
  
"Yeah," Zack said.   
  
"When I was in Carmen's hotel room, I found a photograph of Carmen  
and some guy back when she worked at Acme." Ivy explained. "The  
photo was signed Matt. The guy in the picture could've been the same  
Matt that's been bothering Carmen."  
  
"Okay, maybe," Zack said. "But we still don't know--"  
  
He was interrupted by the sound of his communicator beeping.   
  
"Go ahead, Chief."  
  
The Chief's window popped open.  
  
"Where have you two been? Don't I count for anything in this case? I  
wanna help, c'mon, lemme help!"  
  
"Fine, Chief." Ivy said. "What can you tell us about an Acme detective  
named Matt who was employed at the same time Carmen was?"  
  
The Chief's face fell. "How did you know about that?"  
  
Zack and Ivy hurredly recounted their visit to May Dessin's office.   
  
The Chief sighed. "It's not something Carmen or I like to discuss. But..."  
  
The window filled with a picture of the same man Ivy had seen in  
Carmen's photograph, only his expression was hard and serious.  
  
"Matt McGervil was Acme's second best detective after Carmen." The  
Chief began. "The two of them helped Acme gain the reputation it has  
today. Between the two of them, they once put no less that 1,000  
criminals behind bars in a one year period. When Carmen went bad, Matt  
took it as a personal affront. He changed from the lighthearted guy we all  
knew to a man obsessed. He swore he would put Carmen behind bars."  
  
"So, where is he now?" Zack asked. "He didn't go bad like Lee  
Jordan, did he?"  
  
The Chief reappeared and shook his head. "No. One day he recieved  
a letter from Carmen demanding a meeting. He left the office and never  
came back. A week later, we were informed by Swiss authorities that his  
body had been found at the bottom of Reichenbach Falls. Apparently he'd  
been on the bridge of the falls and slipped. Carmen was nowhere to be  
found. The case was investigated and ruled as an accident."  
  
"But why did he go there?" Ivy asked. "I've heard of loving your work,  
but this didn't sound like it was just work to him."  
  
"I don't know," the Chief said. "After Carmen went bad, Matt kept  
things pretty close to the chest. The only person he confided in was  
Suhara, and he never let me know what was going on."  
  
"Then that's who we need to see." Ivy said. "Player, C-5 us to the  
home of former detective Suhara."  
  
****  
  
"It is so nice to see the two of you again," Suhara said, placing the tea tray on the coffee table.  
"I wish it could have been under different circumstances."  
  
"So you've heard." Zack said. Suhara nodded.  
  
"On the news earlier this morning, it is very strange. Almost frightening in a way."  
  
"It's worse than you imagine, Suhara," Ivy replied. "We think Carmen might be thinking  
of..." she swallowed, "...killing herself."  
  
It was the only time that the detectives would ever see the elderly Japanese man look  
surprised.  
  
"Suicide?" Suhara repeated. "Surely not. Carmen is much too level headed to follow that  
path."  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Zack said. "We just talked to her shrink, and she thinks it's a _definite_ possibility."  
  
"Everything we've dug up seems to lead to an Acme detective named Matt McGervil," Ivy  
continued. "The Chief said that he and Carmen were friends and when Carmen went bad, Matt  
took it pretty hard. Supposedly, the only person he talked to was you."  
  
Suhara sighed. It was a mixture of a sigh of relief and of disappointment. He stood up and went to a nearby bookcase. He reached up to a top shelf and pulled down a framed photograph, bringing it back to the table with him. He set it in front of the detectives.  
  
The picture showed Carmen in her detective outfit standing side by side with a young man in his early twenties, with tousled brown hair and a denim jacket. They were holding one of Acme's Detective of the Decade awards. The inscription on the plaque read: "Detectives of the Decade: Carmen Sandiego and Matthew T. McGervil 1975-1985."  
  
"They were much more than friends," Suhara said. "They were lovers."  
  
"You mean Carmen and Matt were an item?" Zack asked. "Whoa."  
  
"They adored each other. Whenever the two of them weren't on a case, you could always find them together; at the office, on the beach, sometimes just taking in a cheesy science fiction film. Matt always described himself as a B-movie connoisseur." Suhara gave a small smile.  
  
"So what happened?" Zack asked.  
  
"Reginald Enge and Dr. Gunner Maelstrom happened," Suhara said, "The two of them had  
long been Carmen's worst adversaries, and Carmen succeeded in putting both of them behind  
bars. After that, there were no real challenges for her left...except one, and that one she couldn't solve by arresting anyone.  
  
"About a month after Maelstrom's arrest, Matt asked Carmen to marry him."  
  
"What happened?" Ivy asked.  
  
"Carmen refused. She felt she wasn't ready for marriage yet, that she didn't want to settle down. Matt was hurt, but he didn't show it. He did not wish to lose her. Then, one day, Carmen never arrived at the office. A week after that, her first heist made the papers. From that day forth, as far as Matt was concerned, the betrayal was complete. He changed in the intervening year. He became bitter, resentful. Where he was once pleasant to everyone, he withdrew more and more into himself. Catching Carmen became an obsession with him, I was afraid he would succumb to his rage when he finally did so,"   
  
Suhara sighed. "I was of little help, locked away with my own feelings of betrayal. On the day I resigned, I ran into Matt in the lobby of the Acme building. Our gazes locked and I saw the accusation in his eyes. He now had no friends anywhere. A few months later, I recieved a telegram from Matt. He was in Switzerland and was going to meet with Carmen. I think...yes, just a moment,"  
  
Suhara got up from his seat and went to his filing cabinet. He rummaged through the drawers and finally emerged with a yellow piece of paper. "Here it is," the elderly detective said, handing it to Ivy. Zack read over her shoulder:  
  
SUHARA,  
  
HEADING FOR REICHENBACH, SWITZ. MEETING WITH CARMEN.  
EITHER SHE GOES IN CHAINS OR I DON'T COME BACK. THANKS FOR  
EVERYTHING.  
  
MATT.  
  
"That was the last I heard from him," Suhara said, taking the telegram. "After a week, the Chief called to say that his body had been found at the bottom of Reichenbach Falls. He was returned to San Francisco and buried. I couldn't go to the funeral, but I went to the cemetery a few days later." Suhara gave another small smile. "I wasn't the only visitor. Just as I arrived, I caught a flash of red...and there was a single red rose on Matt's grave, along with a duplicate of the engagement ring he had tried to give Carmen. It was inscribed Farewell, my love.'"  
  
"Wow," Zack said softly. "I had no idea..."  
  
Ivy frowned and checked her watch, setting it for Swiss time. "Suhara," she said, "You didn't happen to see Matt's autopsy report, did you?"  
  
Suhara frowned at Ivy. "The Chief allowed me to glance at it, yes. I think I may have a copy somewhere. Why?"  
  
"When did the coroner say Matt died?" Ivy asked. Suhara heard the urgency in her voice and realized where the young detective was going.  
  
"Today," he whispered in horror. "Matt McGervil died on November 16, 1986 at 7:33 PM,  
Swiss time. Ivy, what time is it?"  
  
"7:25, Swiss time!" Ivy exclaimed. "Zack, we have to hurry!"  
  
"What? Am I missing something?" Zack asked, confused.  
  
"Think, Zack!" Ivy yelled. "If Carmen intends to kill herself because of what happened with Matt, she'll probably do it at the same time and place where he died!"  
  
Zack's eyes widened. "Then what are we waiting for? Player, C-5 us to Reichenbach Falls,  
Switzerland, and hurry!"  
  
The three detectives vanished into the ether.  
  
****  
  
The falls.  
  
It had all happened here. Even now Carmen could see it in her mind's eye. The memories  
threatened to overwhelm her, and she fought to keep control.  
  
Control? Carmen had to laugh. She had no control, one incident with the man who might havebeen her father and all the emotions came pouring out. Did that sound like a woman with  
control? No. And a thief without control was a thief who got caught.   
  
Which led her to this. The final option. One last crime to end her career, no clues, no help, no backing out. Her final blasphemy.  
  
The thought stopped her. Blasphemy? Where had that word come from? This was no  
blasphemy, this was justice. The oldest justice, an eye for an eye. Old Hammurabi had certainlyseen things in black and white back then, and by his reckoning, this would be appropriate. She had driven the man she loved to his death. She was guilty of murder, even though everyone thought it was an accident. She had tried herself and been found guilty. The only sentence was death.  
  
Carmen looked down at the rushing water as it cascaded over the cliff, turning the the small pool below into an angry, churning froth. Matt had gotten to know that froth intimately. Even now she could see it...the shouting, the anger...she preparing to leave, and Matt leaping forward...  
  
"CARMEN, NO!"  
  
Carmen's eyes snapped open, tears flowing down her cheeks. She turned to see Zack, Ivy and Suhara standing there. She stared at them.  
  
"I don't know how you found me, and I don't care," Carmen said, not leaving the edge of the falls. "But, you don't want to see this. Go home."  
  
"We can't do that, Carmen." Ivy said.  
  
"Why not?" Carmen gave a short laugh, somewhere between sadness and hysteria. "Don't  
you see, Ivy? It all ends here. I've given everything back that I've stolen, I've disbanded  
V.I.L.E., and soon, all that will be left of Carmen Sandiego are a few news articles and her file at Acme," She laughed again, on the verge of more tears. "Who am I kidding? There never was a Carmen Sandiego. I don't even have a real name, just a city. It doesn't matter."  
  
"It does so matter!" Ivy said. "Carmen, this isn't you! You've never been a quitter. No matter how many times Zack and I foiled your plans, you always had another one up your sleeve. You've helped us put some of your worst adversaries back behind bars! You saved our lives more times than I can count. What happened with Matt was a long time ago, let it go, Carmen."  
  
"I can't!" Carmen cried. "I know what really happened now! It's been a blur for so long, but it's clear now!"  
  
"What?" Zack asked. "What's clear?"  
  
"I KILLED HIM!" Carmen burst into tears, wailing, "I killed Matt! It wasn't an accident! He died because of me! I committed murder...Oh, God..." Carmen collapsed and gathered herself into a bundle, rocking back and forth. The detectives came closer and knelt beside her.  
  
Suhara put a fatherly hand on Carmen's shoulder. "Carmen," he said. Carmen raised her head, and sniffed, looking much younger than her age. She caught the elderly man up in a tight embrace, trying to draw strength from her old partner. Suhara embraced the master thief just as tightly, stroking her hair and softly telling her it was all right.  
  
"I think you should tell us what happened," Suhara said, after Carmen had calmed down  
somewhat. Carmen nodded and swallowed before speaking.  
  
"I had been a thief for about a year," she began slowly, "Over that time, I'd kept up with what was going on at Acme and Matt specifically. I kept reading reports about how he had changed from the man I once loved. I decided to see him one last time and put all the old ghosts to rest, to give us both a chance to get on with our lives. I asked him to meet me here..."  
  
****  
  
NOVEMBER 16, 1986  
  
"It's been a long time, Matt," Carmen said softly, the words almost being lost in the torrent of water.   
  
"Yes, it has." Matt replied.  
  
"You've changed,"  
  
"We all change, don't we?" Matt snorted. "After all, you changed from one of the finest  
detectives in the world to a common thief, no better than Enge or Maelstrom."  
  
Carmen's nostrils flared. "I am _nothing_ like them. They are psychotic killers."  
  
"Six of one, half a dozen of the other," Matt said. "A thief by any other name is still a parasite on society."  
  
"Oh, bravo. And I suppose you're better than me because you stayed at Acme? I've been  
hearing how you've developed our relationship into quite the vendetta. There's talk of brutality lawsuits in the works, Matt. So don't try to claim the moral high ground," Carmen said. "What do you have against me? Is it because I became a thief?"  
  
"No," Matt said.  
  
"Then would you mind telling me what this is all about?"  
  
"Don't patronize me, Carmen," Matt said, "You know damn well what's gotten me riled."  
  
"That was a long time ago, Matt."  
  
"Not for me! Never for me!" Matt snapped, "All I know is that I loved you! I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, and you threw what we had over for your stupid obsession with challenges!"  
  
"I-beg-your-PARDON?!" Carmen said icily. "As I recall, you had the same stupid obsession' as I did. We both were the best Acme had, and we were both getting bored! The only difference between you and me was that I was willing to accept the losses!"  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm sure the challenge is all worth it, Carmen," Matt said sarcastically. "You can't show your face in public without someone calling the cops, every single one of your friends is now your worst enemy, and what about love, Carmen? That's the one thing we had that you couldn't get anywhere else. Are you telling me that this Villians International League of Evil of yours can give you that?"  
  
"I'm willing to live without it." Carmen said coldly. Matt growled in frustration and turned away.  
  
"Why did you say no, Carmen?" he asked a few moments later. Carmen noticed the change in his tone and took a step closer.  
  
"I wasn't ready, Matt, and...I think...I was afraid, as well. Afraid of being tied down, afraid that maybe somewhere down the road, you'd leave me, the way my parents did so many years ago. And after I said no, you started changing. You became moody, and I was afraid that I had done it to you. That you would hate me for it. So I did the only thing I could."  
  
Matt looked up and turned to her, pain evident in his eyes. "So, what are you saying? It's because of me that you left?"  
  
Carmen opened her mouth, struggling for words, "No, Matt, it was...I...I couldn't...I loved you, but..."  
  
"But," Matt said, a bemused smile on his face. "The magic but.' The wonderful word that destroys countries, families...and love." He closed his eyes, sighed, turned away and nodded. "Go."  
  
"What?"   
  
"Go, Carmen. You've made your choice, and I have to accept it, like I should have done a year ago. I'll be leaving Acme. With any luck, you'll never see me again, but Carmen," Matt turned to face her. "What we had, was it real?"  
  
Carmen looked in his eyes and saw something she hadn't in a long time. The man she had  
fallen in love with. The love had returned, and something she hadn't felt in an equally long time gave her the answer. She stepped forward.   
  
"It was real, Matt."  
  
Their lips met involuntarily, coolly at first, but gradually warming up in rememberance of old times and forgotten passion. When they separated, it was with a degree of reluctance.  
  
"Goodbye." Carmen whispered. She turned to leave and began to walk away. As she neared  
the end of the bridge, something caused her to turn and look back.  
  
What she saw made her heart leap into her throat. Matt had swung himself onto the railing and was looking down at the falls. Instantly, Carmen knew what he was planning and ran back, trying to stop him.  
  
She arrived, just as Matt threw himself into the falls. Carmen bent over the railing, trying to catch him, but he fell out of her reach. His look was peaceful as he fell and his words formed a single phrase:  
  
I love you.  
  
The sound of the falls drowned out the sound of the the cries of a woman who had lost the most important thing in her life.  
****   
  
"I drove him to it," Carmen finished. "I drove him to killing himself. If I hadn't walked away...If I had agreed to marry him when I had the chance, he'd be alive today. I swore then and there that no detective I ever encountered would die as a result of my actions. I stopped carrying a gun, and forbade my henchmen to do likewise. But I always knew that I was responsible for Matt's death. But I couldn't face it, so my mind made it look like self defense. But after Avalon...well, I guess my subconscious decided it was time for the truth."  
  
"Carmen, Matt made the decision himself." Ivy said gently. "He knew what he wanted, and he knew what the consequences would be. No one could have done anything, not even you."  
  
"I know," Carmen said. "I'm not going to go down that road anymore. I'm responsible, but I'll let someone else decide whether or not I'll be punished for it." Carmen looked up at the sunset. "What do we do now?"  
  
Zack and Ivy looked at each other. They honestly hadn't thought about it.  
  
"Oh, gee, sorry Chief," Zack began, "Carmen got away again. She was at Reichenbach, but  
took off before we could get to her. No, we don't know what was going on."  
  
"No, Chief, I don't think we'll ever know what she was up to this time, or what it had to do with Matt McGervil," Ivy continued, picking up the cue. "But she seemed fine when we got there. Maybe she was just laying some old ghosts to rest."  
  
Carmen smiled. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"We better get going," Zack said. "The Chief's probably freaking by now."  
  
"You two go on ahead," Suhara said. "I'd like to have a word with Carmen, alone."  
  
"Well, at least take this," Ivy said, passing Suhara her communicator. "You'll at least be able to C-5 your way back home."  
  
"Player, you know what to do." Zack said. The C-5 appeared before them. The two detectives waved goodbye and entered the blue protal, which winked out of existence as soon as they had done so.   
  
Suhara turned to Carmen. "Are you sure you will be all right?"  
  
Carmen nodded. "It will take a while, but I think I'll be okay."  
  
"You still love him, don't you?"  
  
Carmen, for the first time, blushed. Suhara laughed. After a moment, Carmen joined him.  
"You always did know the right thing to say," Carmen said. "Well, I have to go. I've got a bus to catch back to the villiage and a criminal empire to rebuild."  
  
"You know, the Chief would always welcome you back to Acme..." Suhara said. Carmen  
shook her head.  
  
"Sorry, Suhara, not yet. Maybe not ever, but--it's nice to know that I do have people who care this much about me."  
  
Suhara smiled and reached into his pocket. "Before we part, I have something for you."  
  
"For me?"  
  
"Matt sent it to me just before he went to meet you. He wanted me to keep it with the photos I have." The elderly detective produced a small velvet box and opened it. Nestled inside, was simple gold band topped with a small diamond. "I think you should keep it from now on."  
  
"The ring," Carmen whispered. Suhara nodded and passed it over. Carmen took the box with a mix of awe and reverence. Suhara stepped back and smiled.  
  
"You know, I always considered both of you more than students. In many ways, Carmen, you  
were both my children."  
  
Carmen and Suhara embraced again, then Suhara activated the C-5 and vanished. Carmen  
looked at the moon rising overhead. She thought about the strange twist the day had taken.  
Instead of death, she had found a reason for life. Matt was gone, but she still had Suhara, the Chief, even Zack and Ivy. She wasn't alone, she never had been. And she never would be.  
  
She picked up the ring and slid it onto her left ring finger, and looked out over the falls.  
  
"Someday, my love..." Then she was gone.  
  
The falls continued to flow, but if you listened closely, you might have heard a sound, similar to a male voice replying...  
  
Someday...   
  
  



End file.
